Deer are opportunistic foragers whose diet shifts throughout the year based on availability, but their general preference is for easily digestible, nutrient-dense plant matter. They consume a wide variety of vegetation, including grasses, shrubs, leaves, and various fruits, especially when these items are abundant in the late summer and fall. This generalized feeding behavior means that any accessible cultivated crop, like a peach orchard, can become a target for grazing. The question of whether deer are attracted to peaches specifically is an important one for anyone looking to protect their fruit trees.
Why Deer Seek Out Peaches
Deer seek out ripe or fallen peaches because of the fruit’s nutritional composition, which offers a concentrated energy source. A single raw peach contains approximately 12 to 13 grams of natural sugars, making it a sweet and appealing treat for herbivores. This high sugar content provides a readily available source of carbohydrates and calories, which is particularly beneficial for deer as they prepare for the lower-calorie browse of winter or replenish reserves during the demanding summer months.
The fruit’s soft texture also makes it easily digestible, requiring less energy expenditure for consumption compared to tougher fibrous vegetation. Deer will typically consume the fleshy part of the peach, often leaving behind the hard pit. While peaches are not a primary, year-round food source, their presence in an environment, particularly when they drop to the ground, acts as a significant local attractant.
Damage to the Peach Tree Structure
Beyond the fruit itself, deer pose a threat to the peach tree structure throughout the year, even when no fruit is present. This damage is categorized into two behaviors: browsing and rubbing. Browsing occurs when deer feed on the tender new growth of branches, leaves, and flower buds, which can severely compromise the tree’s shape and future fruit production. Young trees are especially vulnerable to browsing because their low stature places the most tender parts of the canopy within the deer’s easy reach.
Rubbing, done by bucks during the late summer and fall rutting season, is focused on the trunk and lower branches. The bucks rub their antlers against the bark to remove the velvet covering and to mark territory. This action strips away the bark and the underlying cambium layer, which transports water and nutrients throughout the tree. If the damage encircles the entire trunk, known as girdling, it can effectively sever the tree’s vascular system, leading to the death of the tree above the wound.
Protecting Your Orchard and Trees
Since peach trees are vulnerable targets year-round, the most effective protection involves physical barriers. A perimeter fence is the most effective solution for an orchard, but it must be at least eight feet tall to reliably prevent deer from jumping over it. For individual trees, a wire or mesh cage can be constructed around the trunk and lower canopy, ensuring the barrier is tall enough to prevent browsing and sturdy enough to prevent rubbing damage.
Repellents offer a secondary, less permanent layer of protection, working by either smell or taste to deter feeding. These products often contain ingredients like blood meal, garlic, or hot pepper, which are unpleasant to deer. Repellents require regular reapplication, especially after rain or heavy dew, to maintain their efficacy, making them a high-maintenance solution. Protection must be maintained constantly, as the risk of rubbing damage starts in late summer and browsing can occur whenever tender growth is available.